October 30, 2005
Day 32

This was the earliest morning of the trip. We had to get up at 3:45, while it was still dark. Eating breakfast was a chore, but everyone was in a good mood because they were finally going to get to see Machu Picchu.

After getting everything ready to go, we began our hike. Walking through the campground, I was surprised to see that almost every other group had already left. I thought that we had gotten up too late and would miss seeing the sanctuary before it was crowded with tourists. Then I noticed the other campers standing in line. The entrance of the last part of the trail didn't open until 5:30, and we got there at 5:15. I guess our guide actually woke us up at the right time.

We had a long two hour walk ahead of us. Everyone was in a much bigger hurry today. Previously, we only had to worry about getting to camp before dark, but today was different. The faster we walked, the sooner we would get to Machu Picchu. The trail went up and down small hills through the forest the entire way. People sometimes stopped to catch their breath, and everyone else continued past them. An every-man-for-himself attitude had surfaced.

Finally, we reached the Sun Gate, from which Machu Picchu is supposed to be visible. Our guide informed us that on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Sun Gate and shines directly into a window in Machu Picchu. It all seemed very interesting, but there was a problem: we couldn't see anything because of the thick fog that surrounded us. The weather had been great until that point, but I thought the fog would ruin the last and most important day of the trek.

Suddenly, the fog began to lift and something became visible in the distance. It was Machu Picchu! It became clearer and clearer for the next fifteen minutes or so until the fog was all but gone. All of the work I had done for the last four days had built up to that moment, and that's when I knew that the trek had been worthwhile.

As we began walking closer to the complex, I noticed a lot of people walking toward the Sun Gate. I knew they hadn't done the Inca Trail because they were clean-shaven and dressed in nice clothes. They must have stayed in Aguas Calientes the night before and taken the bus to Machu Picchu before anyone else could get there. I felt a little bit cheated. I had hiked over 40 KM through the mountains and learned about countless other Inca sites to get to that point, and they just showed up on a bus. I guess it was their loss. The amount of culture I experienced on the way to Machu Picchu was priceless.

When we got to the start of Machu Picchu, we took a group photo and began our tour. I was immediately surprised at how big the complex was. I had seen it in pictures, but I never realized that the pictures were shot at very wide angles. Machu Picchu is as big as a modern day city. There are so many different areas to look at, it can be overwhelming. Edwin gave us a tour of the site for two hours. I then walked around for two more hours before leaving. From the time I got to the Sun Gate, I had been looking at Machu Picchu for six hours, which seemed about right.

To leave Machu Picchu, I took a bus down a long dirt road with hairpin curves galore to Aguas Calientes. I walked around town for awhile, didn't see anything that interested me, and went to the restaurant my group agreed to meet at. Several other members of my group were there, including my guide. We chatted for a few hours before the train left town.

The train ride back to Cusco was long and slow. It was too bumpy and crowded to sleep in, so I had to sit around and do nothing for four hours. A few people on the train started taking pictures of the scenery that surrounded us, but it wasn't necessary for me because I had already walked past it all. One of the advantages of taking the Inca Trail, I guess.

When I finally made it back to Cusco, I began catching up on the news and my website. I also turned in most of my filthy clothes to be washed. I fell way behind on my blog and pictures from being gone so long, so it will take a few days to catch back up.

The photo album for this entry is here.

October 29, 2005
Day 31

Today, we had to get up at 5:15. The toughest day was already behind us, but this day proved to be the longest with ten hours of hiking. I didn't really feel any better or worse in the morning. I just took some more drugs and left, realizing that my cold simply wasn't going to go away as long as I was on the Inca Trail.

The first hour of the day involved a tough climb to the Second Pass at 3950 meters. It was very foggy all morning, so there wasn't much to look at. On the way up, we did pass Runcuracay, yet another Inca site. I began to wonder how we could be taught in high school about the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for an entire semester, yet the Incas, who had a magnificent culture, could barely even be mentioned and be lumped together with all of the other ancient cultures of the Americas. The Incas definitely don't get the attention they deserve.

Near the Second Pass, the fog began to clear a bit, so I got a good view of the lagoons that remained eerily calm on the mountainside. It wasn't too difficult to make it to the top this time, and I finally realized that I could could take in all of the wonderful scenery without having to worry about whether I'd make it to the end alive.

The next stop on the trail was the Sayaqmarka ruins. In Inca times, it was a town with windows, staircases, irrigation systems, and an intricate set of passageways. The site was also a great place to photograph. The dreary green and gray colors combined well with the ambient fog to give the entire site an almost-alive feel.

When we left the Sayaqmarka ruins, the scenery quickly changed from mountains to jungle. Once again we were walking along the river, but now, the forest dominated the area. I saw many tropical plants, including ferns and orchids, and the weather became warmer and much more humid. I started taking so many pictures, I began to fall behind the rest of the group.

Eventually, we ate lunch and forged ahead. We almost immediately stopped at Phuyupatamarka, another ancient Inca site. It had several chambers, ceremonial baths, and a large set of requisite three-foot stairs. Also visible from Phuyupatamarka was Intipata, a hillside Inca ruin.

The climb down was so steep, it became treacherous. At one point, a Swedish hiker yelled "Your friend fell!" loudly in English. Obviously, everyone who heard him became very worried because a fall off the wrong part of the trail would mean certain death. We started running up the trail, but then a bloody porter passed us and we figured out that he simply fell in some brush and quickly got back up. It was a scary moment, but luckily no major damage was done. It's crazy how the porters continue to run on the trail, even when the steps are longer than their legs. I wonder how many of them lose their lives in the name of getting the tourists' luggage to camp before the tourists themselves get there.

We still had a few hours of daylight left, so we took the long way to camp and checked out Intipata on the way. Our guide got really excited at one point and told everyone to stop moving. I thought he had spotted the elusive spectacled bear, but it turned out to be a false alarm. The only disappointment of the entire trek was that I didn't get to see any wild animals other than a few hummingbirds. Maybe a trip into the jungle is in my future.

After we got to camp, our guide had a surprise for us: there was still one more ruin we could see. Several of us walked with him to Wiñaywayna, which was possibly the most impressive ruin I had seen all day. It basically consisted of three parts: A large stepped area for growing crops, a section with several living quarters, and the Temple of the Sun. Connecting the living area with the temple was a long string of ceremonial baths. Anyone who wished to enter the temple needed to bathe himself on the way. There was almost nobody at the site, which made it even more unique.

The mood at the campsite was very festive. There was a bar with a dance floor, and hot showers were available. Wanting to get the full Inca Trail experience, I declined the shower (I didn't have any clean clothes to put on anyway). Still, it was good to see that we were getting near civilization again.

We ate our final supper together and said our formal goodbyes to the porters and cooks who had helped us along the way. The trip would not have been possible without the porters, and I probably would've had to have eaten bugs if it weren't for the cook.

That night, some people started drinking rather heavily, but I didn't want to push myself. I still wasn't feeling any better, and I wanted to make sure I was well enough to take in Machu Picchu the next day. We also had to get up at 3:45 for our last hike, so my decision to go to bed at 9:00 was actually pretty easy.

The photo album for this entry is here.

October 28, 2005
Day 30

There would be no relief from the relentless barrage of early morning wake-ups. This morning we had to get up at 5:45, right after dawn. Once again, I still felt sick. I think I slept a lot, but at soon as I woke up, I started coughing. I ate breakfast, took some drugs, and hoped for the best.

As soon as we started walking, I immediately felt better. The First Pass, the highest point of the entire trip at 4200 meters above sea level, was beckoning me, and I wasn't about to turn down her offer. I figured the illness would just make the challenge a little tougher to overcome, but I wouldn't let it take away from my enjoyment of the trip.

The first five hours of today's trek were almost completely uphill, but the pace was fairly slow, so it was easy to manage. After a water break about halfway up, I became completely focused on making it to the Pass. I could see it for hours, and slowly but surely, it got closer and closer.

Finally, I made it. The First Pass was a beautiful site surrounded by mountains. I could see for miles in every direction. The best part was that it didn't rain all day, which is very rare for this section of the trail. I did a little bit of exploring, but mainly I just sat down and enjoyed the moment. After we all made it up, we took a quick photo and began our descent.

We had to walk for two hours downhill to Paqaymayu, the second campsite at 3500 meters. I was worn out and my cold was making a conspicuous return, so I just tried to make it to the camp as fast as possible. We passed by a few waterfalls, but mainly the scenery remained the same as the top of the Pass.

After I got to the campsite, I ate a quick lunch and passed out in my tent. When I woke up a few hours later, I began coughing again. It was time for supper, so I ate as much as I could and called it a night. I saved just enough energy for the hike; I didn't have anything left to socialize with at night. Going to bed at 9:00 was becoming a regular thing for me.

The photo album for this entry is here.